1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for determining the substances within a bodypart. More particularly, the present invention relates to mammography apparatus for identifying the tissues within a breast.
2. Description of Related Art
The ability to identify substances within a bodypart can be of great value in diagnosing various diseases. For instance, the ability to identify small amounts of cancerous tissues at an early stage of the cancer's development can save the lives of many patients. Identifying cancerous breast tissues at early stages of development has proven very challenging.
Mammography is the standard technique used for identifying cancerous breast tissues. A mammogram is an image of the breast formed by measuring how much each portion of a breast absorbs x-ray radiation. Portions of the breast with an increased absorption of x-rays generally show up as darker areas on the image while portions with a decreased absorption show up as lighter areas. However, different substances can have similar absorptions. Accordingly, the existence of the two substances can be overlooked and the breast misdiagnosed.
To create a mammogram, the breast is placed between two plates which compress the breast. This compression provides the breast with a reasonably uniform thickness through most of the image. The compression of the breast can be painful for the patient.
When a mammography indicates that cancerous tissues may exist a biopsy is frequently performed. The biopsy process includes inserting a needle into the breast to remove a portion of the suspicious tissue. The tissue is sent to a lab so it can be identified. The biopsy procedure can be painful. Further, obtaining the results can be time consuming since they must be sent to a lab.
For these reasons, there is a need for an apparatus which can distinguish between the different tissues within a breast and can eliminate the compression of the breast. There is also a need for an apparatus which can reduce the need for a biopsy and can reduce the time required to identify tissues which may be of interest.